


Lost In The Shuffle

by IsaWritings



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-22
Updated: 2015-03-22
Packaged: 2018-03-19 02:51:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3593601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IsaWritings/pseuds/IsaWritings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a war breaks out between two kingdoms, Lord Anderson and his family get caught in the middle and have to endure the consequences of their king's actions. After Lord Anderson is executed, Lady Anderson and her young child are imprisoned in a tower in the enemy kingdom. Twenty years later, a now grown up Blaine Anderson is still there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This story is one of my personal favourites of all the stories I have written so far. It's the result of an amazing idea that hit me while reading a book a few years ago. (I would give the title, but I'm not sure I'm allowed to and I don't want this story deleted. Also it was part of a very long series I'm still reading now and I'm not sure anymore which part of the series it was exactly.)   
> This kind of looks like medieval Klaine, but it actually takes place in a medieval-like fantasy world. (There's a continuation of this story which I will be posting soon, in which elves will make an appearance.)  
> And needless to say: this story is AU.

 

**Prologue**

Near the border between the kingdoms Eirenia and Asthateia, a small delegation slowly made its way through the country. It was formed by a carriage, which was surrounded by several swordsmen. Seated inside was Lord Anderson, a nobleman from the kingdom Eirenia and one of the king's most loyal and most trusted consultants. With him were his wife, Lady Joanna Anderson, and his only child, a son named Blaine. Since the child was only a few months old, this was its very first journey. And though the boy would never remember his first expedition, it would also be his last one in a very long time, as would become clear very soon.

Lord Anderson and his family were on their way back to the fortress from where they ruled their piece of the country in king Aaron's name. They had recently attended a yearly festival in one of the villages to celebrate the end of the long winter. The presence of the Lord and his wife – and now also his son – was required at this festival and Lord Anderson couldn't deny that he thoroughly enjoyed participating in the festivities. The people he ruled over considered him a kind and fair man and were therefore very loyal to the man who didn't bat an eye when he was invited to drink with the commoners.

Having been absent for several days to attend the festival, the Lord had not yet received any of the messages concerning the war the king had started with Asthateia without consulting his council or the lords. It was a minor war, caused by one of many disputes over the border between the two countries. This time, king Aaron had initiated the argument by trying to expand the border, convinced that the current one hadn't been determined correctly. He was one of the last people in the kingdom who still believed the Asthaterians had unrightfully claimed part of the territory that they thought belonged to Eirenia. The border had been established hundreds of years ago to end a very long series of wars that had resulted in the loss of many lives. However, there were still some people who believed the Eirenians had been disadvantaged when the border had been agreed upon. And among them was the young and hotheaded king Aaron.

Lord Anderson, however, didn't know about these recent developments. So, while they were riding through a dense wood, neither he nor his guards expected to be ambushed by a much larger group of Asthaterian soldiers. Even though Lord Anderson's soldiers – who were always prepared for potential trouble – put up a decent fight along with the Lord himself, it didn't take very long before all of the soldiers had been killed and the Lord and his family had been captured by their enemies. Their captors brought them before the Asthaterian king. Although king Christopher didn't take kindly to being challenged by the king of Eirenia, he was not a cruel man, so he was prepared to negotiate with the other king. Nevertheless, no one had expected king Aaron to declare that he wasn't willing to settle the dispute by means of an agreement between the two kingdoms, whereby the freedom of the Anderson family would be exchanged for peace.

“Lord Anderson,” king Christopher declared in front of his entire court, “although I believe your claim that you did not know about your king's intentions, I cannot ignore his unwillingness to negotiate. Therefore, you will be hanged in the morning in order to set an example. I hope your king will come to his senses before your execution, but otherwise, I hope you can bravely accept your fate.”

Lord Anderson, who was kneeling in front of the king with two guards behind him, closed his eyes briefly, feeling strongly betrayed by the man he had served loyally for many years. He looked up at the king and, knowing he was a reasonable man, addressed him directly.

“Your Highness, I will accept this sentence. However, I have one final request, if you will listen to a man condemned to die.”

He waited for the king's nod of permission before he continued.

“Please, your Highness, I beg you to spare the lives of my wife and child. They are innocent. I will accept your decision regarding my death, but I do not wish for them to suffer the same fate.”

The king stayed quiet for a while, studying the brave nobleman in front of him.

“Fair enough. You do understand I cannot let them go free, but I can grant you this one last favour. I will spare their lives and I promise you that they will be treated well during their imprisonment in my palace. I will also allow you to spend the night with them so that you can say your goodbyes.” He picked up the ceremonial sword that was lying on the table in front of him and sheathed it to indicate it was the end of the trial. “Court dismissed.”

The following morning, the king fulfilled all of his promises. Lord Anderson was hanged, while Lady Anderson looked on from where she was being guarded by several soldiers. Her pain and grief were only visible in the way she clutched the baby in her arms tighter than usual. In response, the boy cried loudly, which was the last sound Lord Anderson heard before he died, happy that at least his wife and son would live.

* * *

A few days later, a messenger from Asthateia reached the castle of king Aaron, relating how Lord Anderson had been hanged. In his rage over the news, the king imprisoned the poor messenger without asking about the nobleman's family and guards. By the time the issue came up several weeks later, the messenger had already died due to illness and malnutrition. Despite his consultants' advice to settle this argument peacefully so that no one else had to die unnecessarily, king Aaron retaliated by directly attacking Asthateia. His cousin, prince Burt, often warned him to end this useless war, but to no avail. Finally, the young king was killed during one of the battles. Prince Burt, who had been next in line to inherit the throne because king Aaron had no sons and no siblings, became the new king and put an end to the hostilities. No one knew what had become of Lord Anderson's heir – his son Blaine – but they assumed the boy and his mother had probably been killed or made servants. Either way, there was no way of rescuing them – if they were still alive – without starting another war. So, the new king of Eirenia decided to split up Lord Anderson's territory and divide it between the other noblemen in order to avoid any fighting between them.

But even though Lord Anderson was dead and Lady Anderson and her young child were imprisoned in one of the towers of king Christopher's castle, their sad story lived on in the songs sung by bards.

 


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

In the highest room in one of the towers of the Asthaterian palace, a young man was sitting in front of the only window, looking at the hustle and bustle going on in the courtyard. The boy had never seen any of it from up close; he didn't even know what exactly the tiny people were all doing down there or who they were. In fact, Blaine Anderson hadn't left this room since he and his mother had been brought there twenty years ago. He had been too young to remember any of it, but he did know how they had ended up in there from what his mother had told him.

Ever since she had died unexpectedly when he was fifteen, Blaine had been all alone. Except for the guards standing outside his door, of course, but those never came in. The only visitors he had were the castle's servants and a few scholars who provided him with books to keep him from going completely insane in this small room. But the scholars never stayed long enough to start a decent conversation and the servants seemed to have been ordered not to discuss anything with him apart from the weather. The only one who dared to go against this was a servant girl named Tina, who brought him his food.

Still, Blaine knew he was lucky. He hadn't been killed, even though he was of no use or value to his keepers. Of course, they wouldn't have wanted the murder of a child on their conscience, but he was an adult now. Yet, for some reason, he was still here and he was given food and things to keep himself occupied with. So, except for his freedom, he had everything he needed. And he was grateful for that, despite the resentment towards the Asthaterian king his mother had tried – and failed – to instil in him. The same king who had always kept his promise to Lord Anderson and had treated them like guests instead of like the prisoners they actually were. The only difference with real guests was that Blaine could never leave his room.

Which was also the biggest problem. There was nothing Blaine longed for more than to be able to get out of this room, to explore the world outside, instead of just reading about it in books. He wanted to find out what it was like to feel the warmth of the sun without there being a window in the way. He wanted to see the tiny figures that wererunning around the courtyard far below him from up close and discover what they did there every day. He wanted to hear the sounds, breathe in the smells. And he wanted to meet new people so that he would finally have somebody to talk to.

Ever since his mother had passed away, Blaine had been incredible lonely. Granted, she hadn't always been the best company. There had been days when she had been moody and depressed and had hated the whole world, which had only become worse the older Blaine got and the more he started to look like his father. But still, he hadn't been alone and he had known there had been at least one person who loved him, not just tolerated him. Of course, Tina did more than just 'tolerate him', but she seemed to be the only one who cared about him as a friend and who always made time for a quick little chat before she had to go back to her work.

And then there was also William the healer, who had once saved his life when he was a child. Whenever the man was in the neighbourhood, he always made a point of visiting. More often than not, he came with the most interesting stories from his many travels and, in a way, he had almost become some kind of father figure to Blaine. When they had first met, Will was still a relatively young man, trying to prove himself, and little Blaine had been in desperate need of a healer.

_"Blainey? Time to wake up.”_

_From somewhere very far away, Blaine could hear his mother's voice, but his eyes felt way too heavy to do as she asked. It was also_ _stiflingly_ _hot,_ _which didn't really help_ _. The cool hand he felt on his forehead did, though, and he leaned into it hoping it would cool him down a bit._

_“Oh, dear God.”_

_Blaine whimpered when the hand left and took its coolness with it._

_Joanna Anderson quickly walked across the room and frantically knocked on the door, outside of which two guards were permanently stationed. One of them opened the door in surprise._

_“My son is ill. He needs a healer right away.”_

_At first, they looked at her in suspicion, wondering whether it was a trick. But, then again, she had never_ _posed_ _any problem before, so one of them went to the king to_ _deliver the message_ _. After a while, he came back with a servant who was carrying several_ _towels_ _and a bowl of cold water._

_“Where's the healer? I asked for a healer. My son_ _has a dangerously high fever._ _Some cold water won't be enough.”_

_“My apologies, my lady. It seems our healer_ _is not present_ _right now. So, until they have found someone else or until the messenger has reached him, we'll have to make do with what we have.”_

_Joanna sighed deeply._

_“Fine. But they had better find a healer fast.”_

_They set to work making the_ _towels_ _wet and draping them over Blaine's overheated body. Through it all, the boy was barely conscious. But despite their best efforts, his fever didn't go down much, and by the next morning, it had even risen again. After two days, Joanna was at the end of her rope. She had_ _barely_ _slept and Blaine wasn't getting any better. To make matters worse, the healer was caught up elsewhere and couldn't come back right away._

_The opening of the door broke her out of her thoughts. The same servant that had helped her the past days entered, followed by a young man with short curly hair._

_“Lady Anderson,” the servant – Lisa – said with noticeable relief in her voice. “They've found a healer.”_

_After a very short introduction, Will immediately_ _began unpacking various herbs and mixing them_ _. The boy in the bed was weak, and he knew he had to act quickly if he was going to give the kid_ _a chance at surviving_ _. While he and Lady Anderson were waiting for the medicines to kick in, Will learned a lot about_ _the sad living arrangements of_ _the proud Eirenian noblewoman and her son. By the time Blaine was finally aware again, after several more days of worrying and fearing for the boy's life, Will had become very fond of him and his mother. Another two days later, the kid was bouncing around the room,_ _chattering_ _their ears off as if he had never been sick in the first place._

_Ever since that first time, Will had tried to visit as often as possible, which was about once or twice per year. He had even been there when Blaine had lost his mother. Even though he had been too late to save her, he had stayed as long as he could in the aftermath, knowing he was the teenager's last source of comfort._

Blaine missed Will. He hadn't seen him in almost a year and was looking forward to his next visit and to forgetting about his own boring life for a while by immersing himself in Will's numerous tales. However, unbeknownst to Blaine, his boring life was about to change drastically.

* * *

A great distance away from where Blaine was caught up in his reflections, king Burt was staring morosely out at the courtyard down below. He had just come from a meeting with his council and was waiting expectantly for Kurt, who was due to return from his hunting trip soon. Realising he was very likely about to ruin the rest of his son's day, Burt hoped that the trip had gone well. He had a very important issue to discuss with him and, with some luck, Kurt would be in a good enough mood to at least hear him out.

Kurt had always been a very strong-minded boy and now, at twenty-one years old, a certain royal confidence had settled over him once he had passed the awkward teenage years. On top of that, the boy had also inherited his mother's beauty and her inherent kindness, making him a charming and generally well-liked young man.

Finally, Burt saw the subject of his thoughts arrive in the courtyard and dismount from his horse with a wide smile on his face. He waved briefly when he noticed Burt standing by the window. Then, he turned back to say something to Sam, his right-hand man and best friend. They had met as children, when Sam's father had sent his eldest son to the court as a page, and the two had been inseparable ever since. They had trained together, always challenging each other to do better, and quickly became two of Eirenia's best swordsmen. They were so in tune with one other that they sometimes seemed to be one person instead of two. With that kind of friendship also came trust so deep that Burt himself had only experienced it with his late wife. They told each other everything, from the most banal anecdotes to their deepest secrets, and Burt knew Sam had been the first one to whom Kurt had admitted that he was attracted to men.

In Eirenia, homosexuality was generally accepted. It was even established in the constitution that every man and woman had the right to marry whomever they liked, regardless of gender or social status. In practice, though, the commoners didn't often mingle with the nobility and the landed gentry still tended to try arranging political marriages for their children.

Burt himself had been lucky. He had met his wife Elizabeth when she had been working as a seamstress in a village not far from where he had lived at the time – before he became king and moved to the castle. He had courted her for a year before she had finally relented and had agreed to marry him. Burt had been lucky because he had had a marriage based on love. And he wanted the same for his son, but he knew Kurt's options were more limited. Homosexuality may be accepted, but that didn't make it common. Excluding those that didn't mind pretending to be gay in order to gain a higher social status, the list of admirers to choose from was very short.

Burt sighed. Time to face the music. He sent Stephen, his servant, to get Kurt, who came in several minutes later, still grinning broadly.

“There's my boy. How did the hunting go?”

“Hey dad,” Kurt said brightly. “It went great. Sam and I chased this huge boar. It took us almost an hour to catch it. I think the cook said he was going to roast it tonight.”

“Sounds good.” Burt already looked forward to the meal, but right now, there were more important matters at hand. “Listen, son, there's something we need to discuss. Why don't you have a seat.”

Kurt sat down obediently, curious as to what his father wanted to talk about.

“I had a meeting with the council today,” Burt started. “They think it's time for you to get married.”

Kurt let out an incredulous little laugh.

“What? No, absolutely not.”

“Kurt, you're the crown prince. If something happens to me, you'll become king. You need an heir.”

“No, I'm not ready to get married. I haven't found the right person yet. Besides, there's no hurry. It's not like I'm going to become king tomorrow.”

“You can't know that,” Burt responded patiently. After all, he had seen this argument coming. “And you know I've given you as much time as I possibly could. You're twenty-one, Kurt. Most guys of your age are already starting a family.”

“Sam isn't,” Kurt retorted.

“But Sam isn't the only heir of the king. He's given up his title in the hope that he'll one day become the future commander of your military force. He doesn't have an obligation to produce an heir.”

Burt followed Kurt with his eyes when he stood up and started pacing around the room.

“The council has given me a deadline. You have to be married by the time you turn twenty-two.”

“But that's only a year from now!”

“I know. If you haven't found someone by then, they will find a partner for you.”

“They can't do that,” Kurt yelled indignantly.

“I'm afraid they can, son.”

“No! I can't find my future husband in only a year, dad. You know I don't want to marry just anybody. I want love, dad, like you and mum. You can't force that.”

Kurt looked at his father with a pleading look in his eyes, willing him to understand his predicament. And Burt did, but he also knew he couldn't change this.

“I'm sorry, Kurt.” He stood up and walked to his son, laying his hands on his shoulders. “I wish I could give you more time, but I already postponed this for as long as I could.”

“I just want to marry someone I love and who loves me in return, who wants to be with me for me, not because of my position. Is that too much to ask?”

“No, of course not.” Burt pulled his son into a comforting hug. “And maybe you'll still find your prince charming in time. I really hope you do.”

“Who knows,” Kurt said dejectedly, pulling away.

“What about that Chandler guy you met last year? He seemed nice.”

“Oh please, he's a stuck-up little arse-licker who's only interested in me because I'm the crown prince, just like the rest of those pretentious status seekers who think they're better than everyone else,” Kurt muttered darkly.

“At least he was actually gay,” Burt chuckled.

“That's really not helping, dad. If only Sam were gay, he'd be perfect.”

Before Burt could answer, they heard an urgent knock on the door and Stephen came in.

“Your Highnesses. My apologies for interrupting but there is a messenger from Asthateia waiting for you in the main hall.”

They followed him out of the room to the main hall, where the messenger knelt before them when they approached him.

“Your Highness. I come from Asthateia, where my sources have informed me that king Christopher has passed away. His son, prince Sebastian, has now taken the throne. But that is not all, sire. Rumours are that the prince was in fact responsible for his father's death.”

Burt was astounded by the news. Apparently his decision to send some spies to the other kingdom many years ago had finally paid off.

“He killed his own father?” Kurt asked disbelievingly.

“Well, of course there is no evidence, my prince, but they think the king was poisoned, possibly by his son.”

“What do you think?” Burt asked. “Do you think Sebastian is capable of murdering his own father?”

“I do, your Highness. If I may speak freely, I have studied prince Sebastian's behaviour for years. He is a cruel man, who only cares about himself and gaining power. I have no doubt he would get rid of anyone who stands in the way of his goals.”

Burt nodded thoughtfully.

“Thank you. Good job. We'll have to discuss this issue further with the council. When are you going back to Asthateia?”

“I will be going in two days. I will continue to keep an eye on the situation and let you know as soon as there is more news.”

“Thank you.”

He dismissed the spy and sat down in his chair deep in thought, the issue of Kurt's marriage forgotten.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Blaine woke up early, like he usually did. He had no idea why, but he had always been an early bird, despite the fact that he didn't have anything in particular to do or anywhere to be. He got out of bed and started doing some exercises he did every day in an effort to keep his muscles from wasting away completely from inactivity. Then he sat by the window, watching the figures below get ready for their day while he waited for Tina or Lisa to bring his breakfast. He was secretly hoping it would be Tina today. He hadn't seen her in days, while she normally came almost every day, and he started missing her and the gossip she brought. He shifted his gaze to the sky, where dark clouds held the promise of rain. They seemed to reflect the mood in the castle. Even though he was locked up in a tower and hardly had contact with anyone but the servants, he knew something must have happened. The guards in front of his door were usually relatively quiet – except when they were playing card games –, but the past few days, they had been whispering among each other non-stop. Then there was the fact that he hadn't seen Tina in a while, which was also out of the ordinary. Not that he didn't like Lisa – she was an elderly servant who seemed fond of him in a grandmotherly way –, but he really wanted to ask Tina what was going on in the castle. Then a thought struck him. What if she had been fired? Maybe someone had found out about their little chats and they had removed her from the castle. But wouldn't Lisa have told him if that were the case? Granted, she didn't usually say much, but she probably would have warned him nonetheless.

He was saved from getting too anxious when he heard the door unlock. When he turned away from the window to see who had come in, he saw to his relief that it was Tina. At least he didn't have to worry about her losing her job then. He knew she and her boyfriend Michael had been thinking of starting a family and she would be much better off living in the castle as a servant than out on the streets without a job. However, when she turned to him, he saw the worry lines on her face, making him realise something _had_ changed in the castle. It wasn't just in his imagination. And it didn't seem to be a good change.

“Hey, Tina. It's good to see you again.”

Blaine was hoping she would take his neutral greeting as a hint to explain where she had been the previous days.

“Hey.” She managed a tired little smile. “I'm sorry for not coming sooner, but I've been really busy around the castle.”

Blaine walked to the table on which she had placed the tray she had been carrying, and lowered his voice when he was close enough.

“Tina, did something happen? You've been gone for days, and Lisa wouldn't say anything, but I can tell something is up. The guards have been talking a lot lately.”

Tina looked at him, pretending to be busy setting up his breakfast.

“Blaine...”

She hesitated, obviously trying to decide whether it was wise to continue or not. She quickly looked at the door before she made her decision and resumed in a whisper.

“You're right, something has happened.” She looked at the door again. “The king is dead, Blaine.”

Blaine's mouth fell open in shock. He hadn't expected that. He had met the king a handful of times, the last time after his mother's death when he had come to offer Blaine his condolences. Of course, that had been five years ago and a lot could have happened since then, but he had seemed to be in good health at the time and he hadn't been that old.

“What? How?”

“No one really knows. He just died in his sleep a few nights ago.”

“I don't understand. Was he ill?”

“No,” she answered, somehow managing to talk even more quietly so that Blaine had to strain his ears to hear her. “That's just the thing. He wasn't. But rumour has it that he was poisoned.”

“Poisoned?”

Tina quickly shushed him when he spoke a little bit too loudly and looked at the door again, but no one came in.

“Yes. They don't have any evidence, but they think prince Sebastian did it.”

“The crown prince?”

Tina nodded.

“But... why?”

“To become king, of course,” she said matter-of-factly. “Everyone has been really tense. They don't know what to do. I've been busy helping with the arrangements of king Christopher's funeral.”

A heavy silence fell between them, both of them immersed in their own thoughts. Blaine's mind was reeling from the information and from thinking about what the consequences of this shift in power might be for him.

“Tina, what does this mean for me? What's going to happen to me?”

Tina looked at him with an expression that clearly showed her concern, as if she had been wondering the same thing.

“I don't know, Blaine. I've been trying to find out, but they are all too scared to talk. I know you've never met him before, but you have to know that Sebastian is not like his father. He has no respect for anyone at all, except maybe himself. I've seen him around the castle, not only now, but when he was a child as well. He has always acted like the whole world should throw itself at his feet because he's the crown prince. He treats the servants like they're his slaves and he likes to make it very clear that we're far below him and that he can have us fired or even executed with a snap of his fingers.”

The more Tina told him, the more Blaine noticed that she was terrified of this soon-to-be king. Blaine shuddered to think what the new king might do with him.

“Listen, Blaine. Keep your head down, okay? Don't give him any reason to have to deal with you. And should he ever come in here, please be careful about what you say to him. He's ruthless, Blaine, and I really don't want you to get hurt.”

She embraced him tightly and he could feel her shivering.

“Don't worry, Tina, I'll be on my best behaviour. I promise. Everything's going to be fine.”

He knew he had no way of predicting how this would end, but he wanted to comfort her in some way. Finally, she pulled back and brushed the hair out of her face, blinking to hide her tears.

“I should get going. I can't stay away for too long, they might get suspicious.”

With that, she left the room, leaving Blaine alone with his increasingly sombre thoughts. More than ever, he hoped Will would come and help him or at least ease his fears.

* * *

For the umpteenth time in the past week, Blaine was pacing around his small room. Ever since Tina had told him about the king's death, he couldn't concentrate on anything other than his worry about what his fate would be now that his main protector was dead. Blaine knew about the promise king Christopher had made to his father when he had granted him his last wish, but he was also aware that the new king wasn't bound by that promise. So unless Sebastian had a strong sense of honour – which Tina had said he hadn't – that would prevent him from killing a helpless man, Blaine was more than ever at the mercy of the Asthaterian king. He could do whatever he wanted with Blaine.

Blaine couldn't help but wonder whether Eirenia knew about his existence. After all, Will spent most of his time travelling and, as a healer, he came wherever he was needed without swearing allegiance to any of the kingdoms. Wouldn't he have told the Eirenian king that one of his subjects was locked up in a tower somewhere? And if so, why hadn't they rescued him yet? Now would be a good time.

Blaine understood he was hoping for something, for a miracle to get him out of this seemingly hopeless situation. With some luck, the new king would decide that Blaine wasn't a useless waste of space and let him live. But if he decided otherwise, Blaine would have spent his entire life as a prisoner with the sole purpose of dying without ever having seen the world. When he passed a chair, he gave it a frustrated kick. Blaine felt like crying at the prospect of his possible end, but he refused to give in to his despair. He clung to a last sliver of hope that maybe Sebastian wasn't as bad as Tina had made him out to be. Maybe.

He stopped in his tracks when the key was turned in its lock and the door opened unexpectedly. He looked up, wondering who it could be considering it was too early to be Tina again. A young guard he recognised as Tina's boyfriend, Mike, stepped into the room with a worried expression on his face.

“King Sebastian wants to see you.”

Blaine nodded tensely, feeling his fear settle in his stomach. He looked around the room, wondering if this would be the last time he'd see it, before he followed Mike out. Mike lay a hand on his shoulder, to all appearances to keep him from running, but Blaine could feel him giving it a gentle, comforting squeeze. The other guard walked in front of them and led the way to a large room. A couple of soldiers were standing on either side of the door and there were a few more spread out over the room. On a throne in the middle of the room, a young man of about Blaine's age was sitting with a self-satisfied smirk on his face. He was wearing the Asthaterian royal colours and a crown, so Blaine assumed this was king Sebastian. Blaine was pushed to his knees and automatically bowed his head as a sign of respect, even though he wasn't sure the new king deserved it.

“Well, well,” king Sebastian said with an unpleasant voice that made an involuntary shudder run over Blaine's spine. “The infamous Blaine Anderson.”

He stood up from his chair and started walking around Blaine, appraising him. Blaine shifted uncomfortably.

“I've heard a lot about you, but no one has ever told me you were quite so... appealing.” Sebastian brusquely took Blaine's chin in a tight grip and forced him to look up at him. “And pretty too.”

Sebastian's hold on his face gave Blaine no other choice but to look straight in the king's ice-cold eyes. Every time he tried to look away, Sebastian's fingers dug deeper in his skin.

“If I'd known that before, I would have paid you a visit much sooner.”

The look Sebastian cast at him made Blaine think of the way a spoilt child might look at a new toy he had gotten and that he couldn't wait to play with. Finally, Sebastian released his chin and Blaine let out a tiny relieved sigh.

“You know,” Sebastian said nonchalantly, “originally I was going to have you hanged like that pathetic father of yours.”

Blaine clenched his jaw at the insult. From what his mother had told him, his father had kept his dignity until the very end. But remembering Tina's warning, he kept his tongue in check while the king continued.

“But that would be such a waste.”

His eyes roved over Blaine's kneeling body once again.

“I could actually get used to this sight,” he said, leering. “I have a proposal for you. I'll let you stay in your tower and give you whatever you need. All you have to do in return is to look pretty and be available whenever I want you.”

Blaine's mouth fell open as he gaped at the man on the throne in front of him. He knew well enough what Sebastian meant, but had a hard time getting his mind round it.

Over the years, Blaine had come to realise he might not be attracted to girls, but to guys instead, although he had never really had the opportunity to confirm his suspicion. He had even told Tina about it, who had said it was completely normal and nothing to worry about. In addition, this was the first time anyone, besides Tina, had ever called him 'pretty', especially someone as admittedly attractive as Sebastian. But even so, he wasn't desperate enough to stay alive if it meant whoring himself out and losing his dignity in the process.

Aware he was still staring at the king open-mouthed, he quickly pulled himself together, closing his mouth and lowering his eyes again.

“Your Highness,” he started, trying to remain as composed and polite as possible, “I... appreciate the offer, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline. I have absolutely no desire to become your sex slave.”

Sebastian narrowed his eyes in dismay. He had never been rejected before and he wouldn't let this worthless prisoner change that.

“I give you the chance to live and you throw my generous offer back in my face just like that?” he hissed. Suddenly, he drew his sword and placed its blade against Blaine's exposed neck. “Are you sure that's a good idea?”

Mike was itching to help Blaine, but there was nothing he could do without getting himself killed. And as much as he liked the guy, he couldn't do that to Tina. Blaine himself stayed admirably calm under the threat.

“Yes, I am... your Highness.”

The tension in the room could be cut with a knife. No one dared to move, all of them were waiting to see what Sebastian would do next, whether he had the nerve to kill a defenceless man in cold blood. Apparently not; eventually, he removed his sword from Blaine's neck and sheathed it.

“Fine. You'll change your mind soon enough,” he said threateningly.

“I don't think so.”

A loud smack echoed around the room as Blaine fell sideways on the ground, his cheek feeling like it was on fire.

“Take him to the dungeon. That'll give him some time to think.”

None of the guards seemed very eager to carry out the order, but in the end, they had to obey their king. As they pulled him to his feet and started dragging him away, Blaine caught a last glimpse of Sebastian's arrogant smirk, as if he were convinced Blaine would come crawling back in no time.

'We'll see about that,' Blaine thought while a guard snapped the chains hanging from the wall in his new cell around his wrists with a solemn expression.

* * *

Burt sighed as he watched yet another messenger leave. It had only been six months since Sebastian had become king of Asthateia, but he was already wreaking havoc all over the place, burning his way through towns without caring about the innocent people that were hurt or killed in the process. Over the past few months, there had been an increasing amount of messages coming in about Sebastian attacking the much smaller countries surrounding Eirenia and Asthateia. Most of them lay by the sea and were important for the importation of supplies and for trade. In return, they were offered protection by their respective allies against possible invasions. But now, it seemed Sebastian had started terrorising all of them, not only those who were allied with Eirenia but his own allies as well, which caused even the latter to turn to Burt for help. The Eirenian king knew well enough that he was the only one who could try to stop the invasions. Only Eirenia had a military force large enough to have a chance at defeating the Asthaterian army. And on top of that, he could count on the support of the countries he would be protecting.

Burt stood up and walked to the meeting room, where several maps and documents were spread out over a large table, detailing their course of action. They had spent a lot of time planning a counter-offensive and especially Kurt's brilliant and surprisingly cunning mind – complemented by Sam – had been a blessing. He had devised a simple but hopefully effective scheme that had the potential of ending the war quickly. As Kurt had pointed out during one of the meetings, Sebastian was smart, but he was also cocky and overly ambitious, which caused him to take too many risks.

_"Based on what the messengers have told us, Sebastian has been attacking several places at once,” Kurt started, pointing at the map in front of him. “He knows his army is far superior to that of any of the countries on the coast, so he can afford to split his soldiers up. Furthermore, he has the element of surprise on his side. But that surprise is waning rapidly, so he has to act quickly if he wants to succeed in taking over those countries. And that's where he made his first mistake.”_

_Kurt started placing tiny soldier figures on the map, one for each place the Asthaterians had under attack._

_“Sebastian's overconfidence led him to advance on too many places at once, making his army more vulnerable than it would be as a whole.”_

_“Are you suggesting that we take out those units one by one?” one of the councilmen asked._

_“No,” Kurt answered, an excited grin appearing on his face. “He might be expecting that. Besides, that would give him too much time to execute the rest of his plans, not to mention a perfect opportunity to ambush us.”_

_“So we take out all of his units at once,” one of the lords commented._

_“We can't,” another member of the council retorted. “That would make us just as vulnerable as Sebastian's army.”_

_“Exactly,” Kurt interrupted the oncoming discussion. “And that could be exactly what Sebastian is hoping for. He can't beat us as a whole, so he needs to divide us up in order to gain the advantage. That's why he took the risk of splitting up his own troops.”_

_“What do you propose we do, then?” Lord Evans asked, intrigued by this young man's line of reasoning._

_Kurt exchanged a brief look with Sam. They had thought out and discussed the problem for days before coming to this conclusion._

_“We attack Asthateia directly.”_

_Silence filled the room as they waited for the prince to lay out the rest of his plan._

_“Sebastian probably left a considerable part of his army in Asthateia to protect it, but he's expecting us to do something about the invasions in the coastal kingdoms. If we take our full military force to Asthateia, he'll be forced to retreat in order to defend the homeland. So, while we charge his army head-on, our allies on the coast will have the chance to attack them from behind. We might have to send some reinforcements to support their armies, but that won't be a problem because, this way,_ we'll _have the element of surprise on_ our _side.”_

After working out the details, the council and the lords had agreed to Kurt's plan and had even allowed him to lead the charge. Burt didn't particularly like the idea of his only son going to battle and possibly getting killed, but he realised this was Kurt's chance to finally prove himself. After all, he was a fighter, and a very good one at that, and he had to trust Kurt and his abilities in this matter. Burt's main comfort was that Sam would be there to have his son's back.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when the door behind him opened and Kurt came in, closing the door gently.

“Everyone's in place and the troops are ready. We're leaving in the morning.”

Kurt went to stand next to his father, who just nodded.

“Dad...”

“I'm going to miss you, kiddo,” Burt interrupted. “I know I can't stop you from going, and I wouldn't, but... Be careful, okay? I don't want to lose you too.”

Kurt turned to his father and enveloped him in a tight hug.

“You won't. I'm the best swordsman of my age, remember?”

Burt smiled as Kurt pulled back slightly and looked him straight in the eyes.

“I'll be fine, dad. I know what I'm doing. Besides, Sam will be there to protect me and to keep me from doing something stupid. And I simply refuse to let that meerkat face or his minions kill me.”

“That's my boy.”

They stood there embracing each other for a while, savouring the moment.

“Love you, son.”

“I love you too, dad.”

* * *

The following morning, Burt was watching the activities in the courtyard. Sam came to stand next to him, holding the reins of both his own horse and that of Kurt.

“Look after my boy for me, okay?”

“I will, sir,” Sam said reassuringly.

“And take care of yourself out there.”

Sam nodded and Burt left to say goodbye to Kurt.

 


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

It took the Eirenians several days to get to Asthateia, especially due to the limited speed of the carts carrying their supplies, but eventually they reached the border that separated Eirenia from Asthateia. Upon entering a dense forest, still on the Eirenian side of the border, they passed a sign detailing how many soldiers had bravely given their lives there in a hopeless attempt to protect Lord Anderson and his family. When they finally emerged from the forest, they set up their camp just over the border. Kurt was sure Sebastian's scouts had already spotted them and were probably already on their way to warn their king of the Eirenian threat. At least, if he was as smart as Kurt thought he was, he would have placed some scouts near the border. After quick deliberation with Sam and the rest of the commanders, he decided they would stay there and put their plan to action the following day.

In the morning, most of the soldiers prepared themselves for battle. While they marched in the direction of the Asthaterian castle, which was considered the centre of Sebastian's power, the healers would stay in the camp along with a small group of soldiers to protect their supplies. Kurt sent out some scouts of his own to find out what would strategically be the best place to carry out their attack.

An hour later, they were all in position, waiting for the first group of Asthaterian soldiers to appear. They didn't have to wait long. As Kurt had predicted, Sebastian had left a considerable portion of his army in the country. After casting a last look at his troops, Kurt took the horn hanging from his belt and blew the first signal. As one, his soldiers readied themselves, set to come into action as soon as Kurt gave the second signal. When he did, the two armies advanced on each other, meeting each other in the middle of the field Kurt had selected for the battle. Spears met their targets, swords came violently into contact with shields, some of which broke from the force of the impact. Horses reared up or fell to the ground, crushing their riders.

* * *

Blaine opened his eyes, having been woken from restless sleep by a loud sound. The perpetual semi-darkness he was in immediately reminded him of his current reality. He was still in the dungeon, where the only light came from torches outside of the cells, which he could only catch a glimpse of through the small window in the door. A guard patrolled the hallway, even though that was useless considering the only prisoner who was still alive was much too weak to even think of escaping. At least, Blaine assumed the other cells were either empty or occupied by prisoners who had already been granted the questionable mercy of a slow death given that he never heard any sounds coming from them. Bones were lying scattered across his cell, most of them in a heap, as if someone had tried to clean up the mess.

Noiselessly, the door to his cell opened and a small person slipped inside.

“Blaine,” Tina whispered, kneeling beside him. “It's me, I've brought you some food.”

From underneath her clothes, she took out a small flask, an apple, some dried meat and a piece of bread that was larger and fresher than the tiny chunks he was given every day. She stalled the items out next to him where he could reach them and handed him the flask first.

“It's water.”

Blaine desperately wanted to drink, but he couldn't lift his arms high enough, and the heavy shackles weren't making it any easier on his weakened body. When Tina saw his struggle, she put the flask to his lips and helped him drink, while also making sure he didn't choke on the water.

“I'm sorry I couldn't come back sooner,” she said quietly.

It had been almost a week since the last time she had been able to steal some food and bring it to him. Stealing wasn't the problem because no one knew exactly how much food there was in the first place. The real problem was getting to Blaine without raising too much suspicion. And then she also had to make sure the guard was someone who they could trust wouldn't rat them out. Everyone in the castle knew the main purpose of the dungeons was to let prisoners waste away. It hadn't always been that way, but king Christopher's untimely death had changed everything.

“Tina,” Blaine mumbled weakly. “You shouldn't come here anymore. You should just forget about me and let me die… Please...”

“No, Blaine, I can't. I can't let you die. You deserve to live.”

“This isn't living, Tina. I might as well be dead.”

Tina knew her friend had grown considerably weaker since he had been locked up in the dungeon, but she refused to let his life end like this.

“Don't say that. Please don't give up yet, Blaine.” She laid a hand on his sunken cheek. “I'm not giving up on you and I beg you to hold on just a little bit longer. I _will_ find a way to get you out of here.”

Blaine shook his head, his exhaustion clearly visible on his face and in every movement he made.

“You can't. It's too dangerous. Sebastian would kill you if he found out you've been stealing food for me, I can't imagine what he would do if you tried to rescue me.”

“I'll take the risk.”

“No, Tina, I'm not worth it. And I couldn't bear knowing you died some horrible death because of me. So please, don't come back. I'll be fine. Besides, death can't be much worse than this dungeon, can it?”

A sharp pain pierced through Tina's heart when she heard her friend's broken pleas. But despite how much she wanted to continue comforting him, she knew she couldn't stay much longer. Because Blaine was right: she would be executed on the spot if this secret came out.

“Just... hold on, okay? I won't let it end like this. I won't let Sebastian win.” Giving him one last hug, she whispered in his ear. “I've got to go now. But I'll be back, I promise. I'm not giving up.”

She hastily but quietly left the cell, leaving Blaine alone in the darkness. While she hurried away, nodding at the guard in thanks, she could hear his chains rattling softly. She'd return. She always did, despite her friend's repeated pleas to let death take him from this never-ending nightmare.

* * *

Kurt drove his horse forward into the throng, knocking down enemies left and right. He knew – or assumed – that Sam was right behind him to protect his back. As he charged, he caught a glimpse of Sebastian, surrounded by a group of soldiers that seemed to act as bodyguards. In a way, it didn't surprise him that the young king would let others fight his battles for him. From the very beginning, Sebastian had watched from the sidelines while his pawns were sent off to the coastal countries to carry out his plans for him, to lead the invasions in his name. He was the kind of person who relied on sneaky tactics to win, who didn't care about honour or fighting fair or how many people died for him, as long as he ultimately gained the victory. As he made his way to his adversary, Kurt thought of the promise he had made to himself the previous day.

_“King Sebastian has arrived with the rest of his army.”_

_Sam entered Kurt's tent, where he was looking over the maps detailing the surrounding area._

_Their plan was working. It had been more than a week since the battles had started. After the first few clashes, in which Sebastian's men had suffered many losses before they had finally retreated, Kurt had decided to wait to give the rest of the Asthaterian army the time to arrive. As much as he wanted to win this war, Kurt wanted to defeat Sebastian in a fair battle, and fighting against a group of soldiers that was much smaller than their own, didn't fit into that category, no matter how valiantly they defended themselves. So they had called a temporary truce. Kurt knew it wouldn't take too long before the Asthaterian army arrived, and now the waiting game was over. There was only one thing Kurt had been wrong about when he had speculated on Sebastian's plans. Contrary to what he had presumed before, the king hadn't gone with his army to lead the invasions in the coastal countries, which explained how the part of the army that had been left behind to defend the homeland had made it to the battle ground so quickly._

_Kurt looked up when Sam's message sunk in._

_“He's here?” he asked incredulously. “Sebastian himself?”_

_“Apparently,” Sam replied. “One of the scouts said he saw him. I guess he's not enough of a coward to keep himself from participating in this fight.”_

_“Or he's just trying to save his image,” Kurt muttered darkly. “Either way, I don't trust him. He probably has something up his sleeve. If he thought he was going to lose this, he would never have come personally; he would have run. He deems himself too important to risk getting killed.”_

_“What do you want to do?”_

_Kurt thought about the question for a while. Sebastian was smart, so it would be dangerous to underestimate him. But it could also be a bluff, an attempt to confuse them and make them doubt their plans._

_“We stick to the original plan. Even if he's bluffing, we still have the advantage of numbers and the fact that we have the coastal countries on our side.”_

_“Okay. I'll inform the other commanders.”_

_Before he could leave again, Kurt called him back._

_“Sebastian's mine. I'll take the smirk off that meerkat face of his and make him pay for all the innocent lives he's ruined on his power trip.”_

_“Be careful, Kurt.”_

_“I will be. But we can't let him get away with this, Sam.”_

_“I know. You know I've got your back, right?”_

_“Of course I do. I trust you with my life.”_

_Sam smiled and left the tent without another word. They didn't need to say more. Sam knew Kurt would do anything within his power to make good on his promise, and if he failed, Sam would be there to finish the task in his stead._

Sebastian's group of bodyguards was tight. The Asthaterian king himself didn't even seem to have room to do any fighting himself. But Kurt didn't let it deter him. He focussed on reaching him without getting killed or injured. After dodging many blows and some close calls, Kurt finally managed to break through the wall of soldiers surrounding king Sebastian. While Sam and some others took care of the Asthaterian soldiers around him, Kurt could concentrate on his duel with Sebastian.

All of the Eirenians knew not to interfere, but they – and Sam in particular – were also ready to avenge their prince should things go wrong. However, it became clear very soon that that probably wouldn't be necessary. As Kurt and Sebastian moved around each other, lunging at one another and parrying, anyone could see that Kurt's skills surpassed Sebastian's. But as Kurt was forcing his opponent back, focused on taking him down, he didn't see how one of Sebastian's bodyguards came up behind him and tried to stab him in the back. Before the man could strike, however, Sam drove his horse in between them and warded him off, taking advantage of the other man's surprise to kill him.

Kurt was slightly thrown off balance by the interference, but was abruptly pulled back into focus when Sebastian used his hesitance to sneak up on him. Kurt struck back more fiercely than before, though still in a controlled way. All of a sudden, Sebastian's horse reared up, almost throwing his rider off. He was busy trying to regain control of his horse when Kurt thrust his sword forward and broke through the shield Sebastian had hastily raised, also breaking that arm in the process. The young king made a desperate attempt to retreat, but it was too late for him. Kurt knocked the sword out of Sebastian's hand, thinking of all of the innocent people his opponent had harmed in his hunger for dominion. Another swift movement later, the Asthaterian tyrant fell sideways off of his horse, bleeding heavily through his armour.

After Kurt had beaten Sebastian, the battle was over relatively quickly, as if the remaining Asthaterian soldiers figured it was useless to continue fighting now that their king had fallen.

* * *

The castle was in chaos. Everyone was running around like they'd lost their heads, but Tina wasn't sure why. She had been in the pantry, taking advantage of king Sebastian's absence to steal food for Blaine. But in the meantime, something must have happened.

“Tina!”

She turned around.

“Mike,” she breathed, relieved to see him, and threw her arms around him. “What's going on?”

“One of the scouts came back. They lost the war. Sebastian's dead.”

Tina gaped at him, shock and relief fighting an inner battle. She was glad to hear their dictator was gone, even though she had no idea what would become of them now. She also had never been happier that Mike had been assigned castle guarding duty instead of having been ordered to go to battle. Nevertheless, she knew that didn't automatically mean he was safe and that he could still be killed when the Eirenian soldiers took over the castle. As a woman and unarmed servant, Tina was relatively safe and less likely to be killed, but that didn't apply to her boyfriend.

“Mike, please, surrender to the Eirenians when they get here,” she begged, realising she was asking him to go against his strong sense of honour. But right now, she couldn't care less. “King Sebastian isn't worth dying for. Please...”

“I was planning to surrender,” Mike admitted quietly after a beat of silence, with just a hint of shame in his voice. “But I needed to find you first, just in case the Eirenians aren't as honourable as they're rumoured to be and don't take prisoners.”

Tina gasped. She was suddenly aware that even as prisoners, their future would still be uncertain, unless they could somehow convince the Eirenian king that their loyalty didn't lie with Sebastian. But they could worry about that later. At the moment, they needed to focus on staying alive.

When the army of prince Kurt finally reached the gate and offered everyone in the castle the chance to surrender, Mike and Tina were among the first to do so. And they were far from the only ones unwilling to give their lives for a king they had never been loyal to. Very soon, they were pushed into separate groups standing in the courtyard, watching as the Eirenian soldiers entered the castle to seek out anyone who was still in there. Suddenly, it occurred to Tina that Blaine was one of those. However, there was nothing she could do for him anymore except hope that someone would find and help him. 


	5. Chapter 4

** Chapter 4 **

Kurt looked around the courtyard. It was full of people by now and he knew the castle must be empty or almost empty. He had ordered some of his men to search the castle again, just in case someone was still hiding in there. Letting his eyes wander, he saw the servants huddled close together in a group. To his right, the Asthaterian soldiers who had surrendered or survived the battles were sitting on their knees in a line, while Kurt's soldiers guarded them.

“Kurt!”

Kurt turned towards the voice of Sam, who was in charge of combing the castle. 

“There's something you should see.”

Kurt followed him into the building. They descended some ominous-looking stairs only to end up in a room that was even creepier. The only light came from torches on the walls. There were several doors leading to the room he was standing in, all closed with heavy locks and tiny barred windows. A soft rattling sound echoed through the eerie silence in the dungeon. Farther in the room, Puck and Finn were standing next to a disarmed middle-aged man, who must be the guard judging by the keys that were hanging from his belt. Kurt looked through the window of the cell closest to him. He couldn't make out much, but it seemed empty apart from what looked like bones lying on the ground. He heard the rattling again, so he figured not all of the cells were empty.

“Sam, check those cells.” He pointed to the row of doors on the other side of the room and continued searching for the source of the sound, until he heard Sam calling out.

“Over here.”

In the cell Sam was standing next to, a figure was sitting slumped in the dark, making tiny movements every now and then, which made the chains connected to his wrists rattle. Kurt turned to the guard.

“What is this man's crime?”

The guard hesitated for a moment, but answered after a firm nudge in the ribs from Finn.

“He didn't commit any, your Highness.”

Kurt narrowed his eyes.

“Then why is he locked up in here?”

“He's the son of an Eirenian nobleman who was captured and killed many years ago.” 

Kurt's mind reeled at that. 

“Excuse me? So you put him in here like a criminal? Don't you people have any manners?”

“He hasn't always been in here,” the man replied defensively. “In fact, king Christopher has always made sure the boy was treated well. But king Sebastian,” he said the name with a noticeable amount of disdain in his voice, “had us put him here for some reason.”

His tone and demeanour clearly showed the guard didn't agree with his new – and now deceased – king's actions.

“Open the cell,” Kurt ordered. Once the door was open, he took one of the torches off the wall and stepped inside. As he came closer, the figure seemed to try to back away against the wall, turning his face away from the light. 

“It's okay,” Kurt said soothingly, as if he were addressing a wild animal. “I won't hurt you.”

Crouching close to the man, the young prince could make out more of his features. He seemed younger than his long hair and wild, tangled beard suggested. In fact, he didn't seem to be much older than Kurt himself. Since the man – boy? – was looking away from him, Kurt could clearly see how hollow his cheeks were beneath his beard. Kurt handed his torch to Sam, who was standing a few steps behind him, before addressing the huddled figure. 

“I'm Kurt, the crown prince of Eirenia. What's your name?”

There was a long moment of silence before a scratchy voice answered. 

“Blaine Anderson.”

Kurt was taken aback by the answer. He had heard that name before and when he linked the name to what the guard had told him, he realised where he had heard it. It was in the stories about Lord Anderson and his tragic end. But that would mean Lord Anderson's son had been living here all along. Judging by Sam's tiny gasp behind him, Kurt knew he had connected the dots as well. 

“You're Lord Anderson's son?” 

Even Kurt himself wasn't sure if that was a question or a statement, but Blaine replied nonetheless.

“Yes.”

When the boy finally looked up, Kurt was struck by the utter pain and exhaustion in his eyes. A violent shiver ran through Blaine's body. At that, the prince lay a comforting hand on his bare ankle. Behind him, Sam was asking the guard for the key of the chains.

“It's going to be okay now, Blaine. We're getting you out of here.”

When Kurt had freed Blaine of the chains, the raw skin of his wrists, which had been chafed by the cuffs, came into view.

“Do you think you can walk?” Kurt asked gently.

“I don't know.”

“Okay. That's okay. We'll help you.”

In response, Blaine shivered again. Kurt took off his cloak and draped it around the shoulders of the freezing boy. Then he and Sam simultaneously grabbed his arms and pulled him to his feet. Blaine swayed on the spot for a few seconds but stayed upright, even when Sam let go of his arm. Kurt, on the other hand, reinforced his grip.

“Let's take this nice and slow, okay?”

Blaine just nodded. Very slowly, they made their way out of the dungeon, the former guard flanked by Puck and Finn bringing up the rear. When Sam opened the door that led to the courtyard, Blaine flinched back. Kurt waited for several minutes until Blaine's eyes had had the chance to get used to the bright light again before leading him outside. After the eerie silence that had hung in the dungeon, the noise greeting them when they stepped outside was loud even to Kurt's ears.

Blaine, who had never been outside or near that many people for as long as he could remember, was immediately overwhelmed by the sights and sounds coming from the mass of people gathered in the courtyard, the horses, the barking dogs, the crying children,... Very soon, the world around him was spinning and he couldn't hear anything anymore beyond a ringing sound in his ears. Black spots were appearing in his vision and he felt nauseous. Despite the ringing in his ears, he could faintly hear a female voice shouting out to him before he gave in to the welcoming blackness.

* * *

Kurt felt  rather than saw it happen. One moment, he was holding Blaine to support him, the next, he was keeping him from hitting his head on the ground.

“Blaine!”

The boy was unconscious. Kurt gently lay him down, draping the cloak over him like a blanket. In the light, he could see how pale – almost ashen – Blaine was, and his eyes looked even more sunken in his gaunt face.

“Blaine!”

He looked up when he heard the distressed female voice a second time. From among the group of servants, a young Asian woman came running towards them, but she was held back by two soldiers before she could reach them.

“Please,” she pleaded, “he's my friend.”

“Let her through,” Kurt ordered.

The woman immediately knelt on Blaine's other side and lay her hand on his cheek tenderly.

“Blaine? Wake up, Blaine, please, please wake up.”

From up close, Kurt could see the tears pooling in her eyes.

“What's your name?”

“Tina, your Highness.”

“You're a friend of Blaine's?”

“Yes, your Highness. I was tasked with bringing him his food for years until he was brought downstairs. Even then, I've tried so hard to keep him alive, stealing food for him and such. I wanted to help him. He deserves so much better than being locked up like he was.” She looked at Kurt with desperation in her eyes. “I wanted to get him out of there, but I just didn't know how to do that without getting us both killed.”

Kurt nodded in understanding. Tina was fully crying by now, in distress from seeing the state of her friend.

“He'll be okay, Tina. He probably passed out because he was overwhelmed.”

She nodded, but didn't seem convinced. Kurt couldn't blame her. If it wasn't for the slow rise and fall of his chest, Blaine would've seemed dead. Looking straight into the girl's eyes, he continued.

“We'll take care of him, I promise. We've brought a healer, the best one around. I'll personally ask him to help Blaine.”

He stood up and started organising his men, helped by Sam. Soon, a number of carts they had found in the stables were ready to transport the injured, the elderly and the smallest children. Kurt had allowed Tina to sit with Blaine on the cart, in case he woke up, but the rest of the servants and the Asthaterian soldiers walked behind the carts, surrounded by Kurt's men. He left a few men by the castle with the order to burn it as soon as the large group was far enough. Since they were going much slower than when they had rode up to the castle, it took them much longer to reach the camp they had set up near the woods, where their healers were standing waiting for them, probably having heard the hooves of the approaching horses.

“William!” Kurt called out, while he dismounted his horse and handed the reins to Puck. “I need your help.”

“Are you injured, your Highness?” William asked, sounding confused, while his eyes roved over Kurt's body in an attempt to determine what was wrong with him.

“Not me, no. But there's someone I need you to take a look at.”

Will followed the young prince to one of the carts, on which a servant girl whose name he knew was Tina was sitting next to an unconscious man. No, _boy_ , he thought when he recognised the figure despite the fact he now sported a beard and longer hair than Will had ever seen on him.

“Blaine...” he breathed, shocked by the young man's appearance.

“Wait, you know him?” Kurt asked disbelievingly.

“Yes, I do. I've visited him several times. I've actually seen him grow up. But...” He swallowed, concern coursing through him and swelling in his stomach. “What on earth happened to him?”

He climbed onto the cart and placed two fingers in Blaine's neck to check his pulse.

“The new king transferred him to the dungeons after king Christopher passed away,” Tina answered solemnly.

A cold feeling ran through Will.

“Wait a minute,” Kurt abruptly interrupted. “You knew Blaine was there all along? And you knew who he was?”

“Yes.”

“Then why didn't you tell someone? If they had known Blaine was still alive, they could have gotten him out of there years ago.”

Will shook his head.

“That doesn't matter right now, Kurt.”

“Yes, it does,” Kurt sputtered indignantly. His heart went out to the boy who had been imprisoned for years. And now William dared to say it wasn't important?

“No, it doesn't,” Will answered forcefully. “What matters right now is Blaine's health. Listen, Kurt, I promise I'll tell you everything later, but right now, I need to focus on Blaine. He needs medical care immediately.”

Kurt nodded, but Will knew he wouldn't let this go. And he also knew that the boy wouldn't be happy when he heard the full story.

“Fine. Is there anything I can do?”

“Not really. We'll bring him to my tent, my supplies are there and at least he'll be out of the cold there. I just need one favour. I'm probably going to need some help, so if it is okay with you, I'd like Tina to assist me. She has helped me before, so she knows what to do.”

“Of course that's okay with me. Just... do what you can for him.”

“I will.”

Fortunately, there weren't too many people that were injured and there were enough healers so that Will could give Blaine his full attention. With Tina's help, he carried him to his own tent, undressed him and wrapped him in several blankets. Then, he sent Tina away to get some hot water knowing the blankets wouldn't be enough to warm Blaine up. Even though he wasn't shivering, the boy was too cold to the touch. When Tina returned, Will filled a leather bag with the water, closed it carefully so that the water wouldn't spill out, and put it underneath the blankets. Then he filled a cup with warm water and added several herbs.

“He's going to need to eat something,” he muttered. Before he could even ask her, Tina jumped up and announced she would take care of it and left the tent. Using some herbs that emitted a strong smell, Will managed to wake Blaine up.

“Will?” he croaked, squinting at him through barely opened eyes.

“Hey, kid. I'm glad to see you again, even though the circumstances could have been better.”

Blaine attempted to smile and blinked a few times, looking around.

“'m cold.”

“I know, but you won't be for long. You need to drink something and maybe try to eat as well.”

Blaine nodded minutely. Will checked the temperature of the water in the cup and turned back around to help Blaine sit up, letting him lean against his own body to support him. Blaine coughed a few times, but eventually he managed to drink the whole cup of tea, feeling marginally better afterwards. At some point, Tina had come in with something that smelled like soup. She helped him eat it, having to nudge him awake a few times, but he fell into a deep sleep by the time he had eaten half of the soup. Tina looked uncertainly at Will, who assured her it was normal and that Blaine's stomach couldn't handle too much food anyway. When they lay him back down, Will noticed to his relief that the boy was slightly warmer than he had been before.

* * *

Kurt was pacing around the camp, trying to distract himself by looking at the activity around him. He didn't really know why he was so worried about a boy he didn't even know. All his life, he had heard the stories about Lord Anderson and how the previous king had betrayed him and let him be hanged. Just like everyone else, Kurt had assumed Lady Anderson and her child had died as well, since the stories never specified what their fate had been. But now that very child had suddenly reappeared. Calculating how many years ago Lord Anderson had died, he estimated that Blaine must be approximately twenty years old, just a year younger than Kurt himself. Kurt couldn't imagine what it would be like to be imprisoned  for all of his life ,  but the idea of never being allowed to go outside filled him with horror .

He was pulled out of his musings when he saw Will emerge from his tent and walk straight to him.

“How is he?”

“Malnourished and extremely weak. But with some proper care, I'm sure he'll pull through.”

Kurt followed him to the fire, where they sat down on the ground.

“He's always been a strong kid,” Will said after a few moments of silence. “The first time I met him, he had a fever high enough to take the life of a grown man. I thought his time had come for sure. But somehow, he pulled through. No mean feat for a seven-year-old.”

He smiled when he remembered the small but very active child Blaine had once been.

“I don't understand,” Kurt said. “If you knew he was there this whole time, why have you never said anything about it?”

“I have, Kurt.”

The prince looked at him in surprise.

“Your father and the council knew Blaine was there.”

“That can't be true. They would have done something about it by now.” He wasn't sure who he was trying to convince, Will or himself.

“I know you might not want to hear this, but they knew, Kurt. You'll have to ask your father exactly what their motivations were, but I think they felt they couldn't bring Blaine home without starting another war.”

“That's ridiculous. They could've paid a ransom for him.”

“Like I said, you'll have to ask your father about that.”

“Oh, I will,” Kurt muttered darkly.

“There's something else we need to discuss,” Will started. Kurt seemed to be left in a bad mood from his most recent discovery, but this was more important, so he ploughed on. “We need to get Blaine to the castle as quickly as possible.”

Kurt gave him a penetrating look.

“I don't know what exactly your plans are, Kurt, but I'm assuming you'll want to bring all of these people to the castle to make sure they are looked after, which means the journey back will go much slower and take several extra days. But Blaine is not up to that much travelling. He needs a warm, comfortable place to recover. We can't risk his condition getting any worse than it is. Right now, catching a simple cold would be enough to send him to the afterlife because his body isn't strong enough to fight it off.”

Kurt nodded contemplatively, thinking the problem over.

“Do you think you can get him to the palace by horse? If so, I suggest you take my horse and ride ahead of us. It'll still take at least two days, but you'll get there a lot faster.”

“Yes, that might work.”

“Good. Then that's what we'll do. I'll ask Sam to select a few men, they'll accompany you.”

“Can Tina come too? I'll still need her help.”

“Yes, of course. I'll give you a note for my father to vouch for her.”

“Thank you, Kurt. We'll leave in the morning.”

 


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

When Kurt and the rest of the soldiers finally returned with the captured Asthaterians, Burt was waiting for them in the courtyard. While he was glad to see his father again, Kurt was only thinking of one person.

“How is he?” he asked immediately after he had dismounted.

“He's still alive. Will said it might take a while, but he's probably going to make a full recovery.”

Kurt nodded, tension still clearly visible in his expression. Burt took the reins of his horse from him, giving him the chance to go straight to their guest without having to take care of his horse first.

“Don't think you're off the hook, father. We'll talk about this later,” Kurt stated, then he quickly went inside.

Burt sighed. He had known Kurt wouldn't be happy about what had happened to Blaine, but the way his son had called him 'father' instead of 'dad' showed just how angry he was. Not that Burt could blame him. In his opinion, he deserved every bit of rage and disappointment Kurt threw at him.

Meanwhile, Kurt tore through the castle until he realised he didn't have a clue which room Blaine had been put in. Just when he was about to ask one of the servants, a very familiar and very welcome voice called out to him.

“Kurt!”

He turned and saw Sam approaching with swift strides. They hugged briefly before Sam continued. “I heard you were back. I figured you'd want to see Blaine as soon as possible.”

“Where is he?”

“In one of the guest rooms. Not the one in the tower,” he added quickly. “We put him in the room on the second floor, that's the warmest one.”

They began making their way to the second floor.

“Sam,” Kurt started, somewhat afraid to ask his question, “how is he? My dad didn't say much.”

Sam looked at him in consideration.

“He's alive, but... he's not doing so well, Kurt. He developed a fever the day after we left you. Will and Tina have been doing their best to get it down, but the fact that he was almost starved to death isn't exactly helping his case.”

Kurt quickened his pace, trying to ignore the fear that coursed through him when he heard the news. He wasn't sure why he was so worried about someone he knew virtually nothing about, aside from some of his general life story, but for some reason, he wanted very badly for this stranger to stay alive.

When they finally reached the room, he hesitated. Years ago, he had witnessed his mother's death after a long illness. And although he didn't have the same emotional bond with the boy behind this door that he had had with his mother, he also didn't want to watch another person he cared about die. Eventually, the side of him that told him to face his fears instead of running away from them won his inner fight and he opened the door, stepping into the room quietly.

First, he saw Will standing next to the bed, handing something to Tina, who had climbed onto the bed in order to support the figure lying in it. Kurt almost didn't recognise him; his mind simply couldn't match the cleaned-up person with the ragged prisoner they had rescued from the dungeon. Blaine's beard was completely gone, giving him a boyish look, and someone had cut and washed his hair, allowing his soft curls to show. Suddenly, it struck him how handsome Blaine was without all of the excessive hair, even though he was still too pale and the hollowness of his cheeks and eyes had become even more pronounced.

Kurt walked up to the bed, where Tina had started to feed her friend. Blaine himself was barely clinging to consciousness; his eyes, which were only opened to slits, kept falling shut and he seemed to be having trouble swallowing whatever Tina was giving him. When Kurt sat down on the other side of the bed and took the boy's hand in his, Blaine dragged his eyes open a bit more in an effort to see who else was there.

“Hey,” Kurt said softly, smiling.

Blaine returned the smile, but didn't seem able to make his voice work properly. Instead, Kurt felt Blaine's fingers twitch weakly in his hand. After a few more spoons, his eyes fell shut entirely and didn't open again. Kurt looked up in alarm, but Will and Tina shared what seemed a relieved look, so Kurt took that as a good sign. Tina slid out from under Blaine and lay him down in a comfortable position.

“He just ate more than he did the previous days,” Will said, finally turning to Kurt. “It seems you have a good influence on him.”

“He hardly ate anything,” Kurt remarked uncertainly. The bowl now standing on the table next to the bed was still more than half full.

“For him, it was a lot and, right now, he can't even handle much more. His stomach is still getting used to getting fed regularly again. The more he manages to eat, the better it will be for his recovery. So as long as he can keep it in, every little bit is a step in the good direction.”

Kurt nodded and looked at the boy whose hand he was still holding.

“Do you think he's going to be okay?”

Will shot him a long look. “I sure hope so.”

The bags under his eyes caused Kurt to realise how much harder this must be for the healer, who had known Blaine for almost all of the boy's life, than it was for himself. Letting go of Blaine's hand, Kurt stood up and walked to the door.

“I need to talk to my father. Maybe you should get some rest, Will, you look beat.”

“I'll rest later.” As Kurt made to leave, Will called out after him. “Try not to be too hard on him, Kurt. He's only human, you know.”

With Will's advice in the back of his mind, Kurt went in search of his father.

* * *

“Can you explain to me,” Kurt started calmly, “why I found an Eirenian nobleman's son in the Asthaterian castle?”

Burt knew his son was doing his best to reign in his emotions and remain as calm as possible. They were in the king's private room. Burt was sitting in one of the chairs while Kurt was standing in front of his father with his hands on his hips and a stern expression on his face. In that moment, Burt felt like the roles between them had suddenly been reversed, as if Kurt were a disappointed father scolding his son for doing something wrong.

“And why he was wasting away in a dungeon convinced he would meet his end there?”

Kurt's voice was rising, building up in volume as his rage came to the surface.

“And especially why Will told me you knew Blaine was there all along and didn't do anything about it?”

“Kurt, I understand you're angry, but I had my reasons. And if you'd please sit down, I'll tell you everything.”

“Fine,” Kurt huffed, sitting down. “But your 'reasons' had better be really good ones.”

“Okay, so, yes, I did know Blaine was there–”

“And you did nothing.”

“Kurt.”

Burt shot him a warning look.

“Sorry. Go on.”

“When Will found out about Blaine and his mother, he came here and told me about their situation. I wanted to bring them home, I really did. But I didn't how.”

“What do you mean?”

“Think about it, Kurt. After what happened with king Aaron and Blaine's father, I didn't want to start yet another conflict with Asthateia.”

“That's what Will said. But there are other ways to rescue hostages. Ever heard of the word 'ransom'?”

Burt glowered at him for his sarcastic tone, but he couldn't compete with Kurt's glare.

“Of course I have, Kurt. At the time, I spent weeks pondering over this while you were running around the castle playing warrior with Sam.”

Kurt blushed at the memory.

“I know I could have negotiated with king Christopher and we probably would have come to an agreement.”

“Then why didn't you?”

“Where would they have gone, Kurt?” Burt asked, wondering if Kurt would understand.

“Home, of course.”

“Yes, of course. Do you remember what I did with the Andersons' territory after the war was over?”

“You split it up and shared it out between the lords.”

“Why?”

“To prevent a civil war between them and to avoid being accused of favouritism.”

“Very good.”

Kurt crossed his arms impatiently.

“I didn't come for a history lesson, dad.”

“I know, but I want you to be aware of all the factors I had to consider. Like the fact that Lord Anderson's territory has always been the most sought-after domain in our country. Many of the other lords envied him for it.”

“So you divided it up when Lord Anderson died. What does that have to do with the fact that you completely abandoned Blaine and his mother?”

“Everything. Blaine was Lord Anderson's only heir. What would have happened if I'd brought them back home?”

“Blaine would've inherited his father's title and his mother would've managed his business until he was of age,” Kurt replied. “I don't see the problem.”

Burt raised an eyebrow.

“How do you think the other lords would've reacted when they heard they had to give up their land again? Sebastian isn't the only one who would kill for power. I was afraid someone would try to keep them from making it home. That's the main reason I left them in Asthateia. Will said they weren't being maltreated, so I figured they were safer where they were than they would've been here. Therefore, I decided not to do anything as long as they were doing well.”

Kurt had to admit his father had a point. But as he thought of Blaine and the state he had found him in, he felt his anger rise up again.

“Well, obviously they weren't as safe as you assumed they were. Have you seen Blaine? He's not exactly 'doing well', is he?” Kurt asked, making quotation marks in the air. “If it hadn't been for Tina, he wouldn't even have made it this far. If it hadn't been for her, we would've found another corpse in that dungeon.”

Burt hung his head in remorse.

“I know that, Kurt. It's not like I'm proud of what I did... or didn't do. I know I have seriously let Blaine down. Nothing I do can ever make up for that. But I didn't know what else to do. Either way, I couldn't guarantee his safety.”

“You should have tried harder.”

With that, Kurt left the room, knowing he'd start saying things he'd regret later if he stayed much longer.

* * *

_Blaine opened his eyes and looked around the small room he was far too familiar with. It was early in the morning. Judging by the thick bank of grey clouds, it would be a sombre day. He stood up, stretched and walked towards the other bed, where a large lump was buried deep under the covers._

_“Mum.” He shook the lump gently. “Mum, time to wake up.”_

_She didn't react. When Blaine was younger, his mother had always been the one waking him up. But lately, her depressions had been taking over her mind more often and lasting longer. She only got up to eat, if at all. Some days, Blaine had to literally drag her out of bed and force her to eat by means of emotional blackmail. And so he braced himself for another day of trying to rouse a zombie._

_He pulled the blankets away. Normally, his mother would protest – or just grunt – and try to grab them back. Not today. Today, she didn't even move._

_“Mum?”_

_She was too still. It was unnerving. He shook her again, harder this time._

_“Mum?”_

_Since she was lying with her back to him, Blaine couldn't see her face. He turned her around._

_“Mum?”_

_His voice rose in alarm. She wasn't moving_ at all _, not even her chest. He shook her over and over again, now shouting at her to wake up. But he knew it was useless. He knew it from the way she was too cold to the touch, from the lack of colour in her face and from the way she didn't even twitch, no matter what he did._

_Tears were streaming down his face, but Blaine didn't notice. Nor did he notice the guards coming in, not until they dragged him away from the body to the other side of the room. He was still screaming, fighting to get back to his mother. He watched as the castle's healer tried to find a pulse. When the man shook his head, the screaming stopped. If the guards hadn't been holding him, Blaine would've fallen on the ground like a marionette with its strings cut._

Kurt entered Blaine's room. After the conversation with his father, he had taken a long nap, which he believed he had more than earned after the previous weeks.

“Kurt, I'm glad you're here.”

Will stood up from his chair next to Blaine's bed. Apart from them, there was only a page present in the room, standing awkwardly near the door.

“Where's Tina?”

“I sent her off to get some sleep. I know she hasn't been getting much lately. Could you keep an eye on Blaine for a while?” Will nodded towards the page. “Apparently one of the stable boys got hurt and they require my assistance.”

“Yeah, sure,” Kurt replied brightly.

After Will and the page had left, Kurt sat down in the empty chair and studied the boy in front of him. He was asleep, but seemed far from peaceful. He was panting and sweating profusely, probably because of his still raging fever. Kurt took a rag from a bowl filled with cold water to wipe the sweat away and hopefully bring Blaine some comfort.

“Mum...” Blaine mumbled, taking the prince by surprise.

“Mum.”

He kept repeating it, his tone getting more pleading. Kurt didn't know what to do. He tried waking the boy up, assuming he was dreaming, but to no avail. Eventually, it stopped, but Kurt wasn't sure the dream was over yet.

_Blaine wasn't aware of his surroundings anymore, nor did he know how much time had passed. All he could see was the body on the bed. Somehow, he had ended up on his knees in a suddenly empty room._

_As he continued to stare, the body all of a sudden sat up and struggled to its feet. It came to stand in front of him, its face twisted, its mouth curled into a grotesque smirk. Blaine looked in horror at the creature towering over him and found himself stunned into immobility. The mouth of the creature, which now sported Sebastian's face, was moving, but Blaine couldn't hear what it was saying._

'Definitely a nightmare,' Kurt thought, as he witnessed the way Blaine was twisting his body weakly. Kurt drenched the rag and ran it across Blaine's face again.

“Blaine, wake up, it's just a dream.”

_From somewhere far away, Blaine heard a voice. Abruptly, Sebastian lunged forward, stabbing at him with an enormous sword. Blaine threw himself backwards, but instead of hitting the floor, he kept falling. By the time he landed, he was plunged into darkness and unable to move his arms. The only light he saw, came from a tiny window in a door in front of him._

_The same voice from before was all that was breaking the oppressive silence._

“Blaine!”

Kurt was desperate; Blaine was still stuck in his nightmare. Because of the way he was thrashing around, he had managed to get himself entangled in his blankets.

“Blaine, wake _up_!”

All of a sudden, Blaine stopped moving, giving Kurt the chance to disentangle him.

“Mum?”

It was no more than an exhausted whisper. When Kurt looked up, he was relieved to see Blaine looking at him, his eyes mere slits.

“No, Blaine, I'm sorry, she's not here.” He sat down on the bed. “It's Kurt, remember?”

He had no idea how conscious Blaine was at the moment, considering his fever, or whether he would even remember Kurt from before.

“Kurt...”

“That's right,” he said softly. He brushed some hair out of Blaine's face. It seemed to have a calming effect; in response, Blaine closed his eyes and turned on his side towards where Kurt sat.

When Tina came in almost an hour later, Kurt was still in the same position, watching Blaine's now relaxed face while he slept. She sat down in the chair Kurt had vacated.

“Everything okay here?”

Kurt nodded.

“Yeah. He was dreaming earlier, but he seems okay now.”

They sat in companionable silence for a while, both caught up in their own thoughts. Eventually, Kurt's curiosity got the better of him.

“Tina? What happened to Blaine's mother?”

The girl kept quiet for some time, answering his question just when Kurt was about to apologise for asking it.

“She passed away five years ago. Why?”

“He was calling for her earlier.”

“Oh...”

After several minutes, Tina elaborated.

“Blaine's the one who found her one morning.”

“What did she die of?”

“I'm not sure,” Tina said thoughtfully. “Blaine often said she was depressed and would hardly eat. I think she had lost her will to live. … Blaine was devastated, of course. I remember thinking it was strange seeing him so... lifeless. If it hadn't been for Will, I'm sure it would've ended then. But Will came and stayed with him for weeks, to help him through.”

“Thank the gods for Will.”

“Yeah.”


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

It had been almost a week since Will had informed them that the Anderson boy's fever had finally broken. Burt was in his room, contemplating when would be the best time to go talk to him, if there even was such a thing as 'the best time' for a conversation like that. Of course, he could ask Will or even Kurt – who seemed to spend just about all of his time in that room –, but he knew the latter was still mad at him and he suspected Will might not approve of heavy conversation while Blaine was still recovering.

Deciding he'd have to face the kid at some point, Burt made his way to the guest room on the second floor. He was in luck: only the Asthaterian servant girl was there. She quickly stood up and bowed for him and reluctantly left the room when Burt asked if he could sit with Blaine for a while. Unsurprisingly, the kid was sleeping; according to Will, he was asleep most of the time. In a way, Burt was glad for that because it gave him some more time to gather his thoughts.

Blaine seemed to have noticed he had a visitor, however, because he woke up fairly quickly after Burt's arrival. The king watched the boy's expression go from confused to surprised and wide awake in a matter of seconds.

“King Burt, I mean, your Highness,” he stuttered, while he struggled to sit up.

Burt got to his feet and laid a hand on Blaine's shoulder to still him.

“Relax, kid, no need to exert yourself.”

Laying an arm around Blaine's back, Burt helped him lean forward so he could put some pillows behind him to lean against. He only sat back down once he had made sure Blaine was sitting comfortably.

“Um, your Highness?” Blaine tentatively broke the silence, staring at him with wide eyes, making Burt wonder whether the boy was scared of him. “I don't mean to offend you, but why are you here?”

“I wanted to see how you were doing.” Burt smiled, attempting to look reassuring.

“That is very kind of you, sire. It's an honour to meet you.”

As a king, Burt was used to people being overly polite to him, but in Blaine's case, it seemed different. He wasn't being polite because he was talking to a king, he was trying to be at his best behaviour because he was afraid of what that same king might do to him. And who could blame him? His past experiences with kings had never been very good.

“Likewise. And there's no need for all the fancy titles. You can call me Burt if you want.”

Wrong move. Blaine narrowed his eyes in suspicion, as if he thought Burt was trying to trick him. The latter decided it was confession time.

“You know, your father was once a good friend of mine. He was a good man, he didn't deserve the fate he met. … And neither did you. That's another reason why I'm here. I should apologise to you and I'd like to explain my actions, if you'll let me.”

“... I don't understand. What do you have to apologise for?”

Kurt must not have told him, Burt realised in surprise.

“Blaine, I've known you were in Asthateia for years.”

Blaine gaped at him with his mouth open and suddenly became paler than he already was.

“... You knew? But...”

There was a hurt look in his eyes that caused Burt to doubt every reason he had ever had for leaving the Andersons where they were.

“Yes, I knew. After the first time he met you and your mother, Will came here.”

Burt continued to reveal everything he had told Kurt the day he had returned. How he had been afraid of starting another war. How he had feared for Blaine's and his mother's lives should he have tried to bring them back peacefully.

“I'm sorry, Blaine. As a king, I've failed you and your mother and, even worse, as a friend, I've failed your father.” He paused briefly, overcome with emotion. “I hope you can one day find it in your heart to forgive me, but I'll understand if that day never comes.”

He cast a glance at Blaine, who was looking away from him with a grim expression.

“I really am sorry, Blaine.”

The boy on the bed swallowed and sighed deeply.

“Your Highness,” he whispered, “if you don't mind... I'm tired and I'd like to get some rest now.”

The message was clear enough, so Burt stood up and left the room. In the hallway, he bumped into Kurt, who appeared to have been pacing in front of the door, waiting for his father to come out. Without saying a word, Kurt stalked into the room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Kurt sat down gingerly on the edge of the bed, where Blaine was sitting up against a pile of pillows and staring morosely at his blankets.

“Tina told me my father was here,” Kurt started tentatively. “Are you okay?”

“I don't know.”

When silent tears started running down his face, Kurt shuffled a little closer and opened his arms. Blaine accepted the invitation and lay his head on Kurt's shoulder, feeling inexplicably safe when he felt the prince's arms holding him tightly.

“Did you know?”

“Not until the day we found you, but yes, I did.”

“...I'm tired.”

“Do you want to lie down?”

He felt Blaine nodding. When he was once again settled, Blaine grasped Kurt's hand.

“Will you stay until I'm asleep?”

Kurt smiled.

“Of course.”

* * *

Burt saw his son again in the evening, when he came down to get something to eat.

“Is he... Is he okay?” he asked tentatively.

Kurt shot him an angry look.

“No, of course not. He's upset. He woke up four times from nightmares since you decided to pay him a visit.”

“Kurt... I didn't mean to upset him. I-I just wanted him to understand.”

“Understand? He doesn't understand, father. And I know you didn't mean for it to happen, but he _is_ upset because he just learned that everything that happened to him could have been avoided in the first place.”

“I know that, Kurt,” Burt said tiredly, sighing. “You were right before, I should have tried harder.” He paused, searching the right words. “I wish I could undo what I did twenty years ago, but unfortunately, I can't go back in time. Do you really think I don't hate myself for the decision I made? 'Cause I do. And I'll never be able to make amends to Blaine for that. I know that well enough, Kurt.”

Kurt's glare softened when he saw his father's honest regret.

“I guess I can understand why you did it,” Kurt allowed. “It wasn't right, but you're only human, aren't you?”

He sat down next to his father. When he studied his face, he could see the signs of tiredness in his face.

“You always make it seem so easy to be a good king that I'd almost forget you can make mistakes too,” Kurt admitted. “I don't know if you can make up for this one, dad, but the least you can do is try. And then it'll be up to Blaine whether he's willing to forgive you or not.”

Burt nodded.

“You'll be a great king one day, Kurt.”

“I learned from the best.”

* * *

When Kurt entered Blaine's room a few days later, the boy was lying with his back to the door so that Kurt couldn't see whether he was awake or not. He walked around the bed, but stopped in his tracks when he noticed Blaine _was_ awake and in fact crying silently.

“Hey.” Kurt sat down on the edge of the bed with a concerned frown and started stroking Blaine's hair. “What's wrong? Are you in pain? Do you want me to get Will?”

Blaine just shook his head and reached out to take Kurt's hand in his still rather weak grip. Kurt, in turn, moved a little closer.

“What's the matter? Why are you crying?”

Blaine took a few moments to calm down before he answered, all the while staring at the window.

“... I just want to go outside so badly,” he said quietly.

“You can, really soon. Once you've recovered, you can go wherever you like.”

“I know,” Blaine said, furiously trying to wipe away the tears that were still running down his cheeks. “I'm being stupid.”

“Hey, no, of course not. I get it, in a way.”

Blaine remained silent for a while, organising his thoughts.

“It's just... I've spent twenty years locked in a room, wishing I could go outside. And now, I'm finally free and I'm still stuck in a room, unable to leave.”

The tears were coming faster now. Kurt took his other hand, stopping his desperate attempts to wipe them away.

“You'll get your strength back, Blaine, and then there will be nothing or no one stopping you from going wherever you want to go.”

“But what if I can't? What if none of this is real?”

“What? Of course this is real...,” Kurt said, confused.

But Blaine shook his head. Kurt could see he was getting worked up, but he wasn't sure how to comfort him.

“I've been having these weird dreams, and sometimes it gets so difficult to distinguish between dream and reality. And even now, how can I be sure this is real? For all I know, I've finally gone insane after twenty years and this is all just a very elaborate fantasy my mind has somehow conjured up. I feel like... any moment, I could come back to my senses and I'll still be in that dungeon, dreaming of a freedom I'll never have.”

Kurt was rendered speechless by Blaine's confession.

“But... you've been outside already. Doesn't that contradict your theory?”

“I passed out the first time and I can't even remember coming here, so no.”

“Okay, I guess you've got a point there,” Kurt admitted, thinking fast. “How about we go outside right now and prove once and for all this isn't a dream and you haven't gone crazy?”

“I can't,” Blaine muttered in a sad voice. “I'm not strong enough to make it that far and Will wouldn't let me anyway.”

“What if I helped you? If you get tired along the way, I can carry you. And Will doesn't need to know,” he added with a wink.

“You would do that for me?”

“Of course. I would do anything for you.”

Kurt helped Blaine out of the bed and into some warmer clothes and boots. Then he took one of the blankets before moving back to Blaine's side and putting an arm around his waist to support him.

“Ready?”

Blaine nodded. While they slowly made their way downstairs, Kurt was reminded of the day they had met. Blaine had already come a long way since then, but it would still take a while until he'd be back to his former self.

“Almost there,” he muttered when the door to the gardens came in sight. It was a beautiful spring day. There were a few clouds in the sky blocking the sun, but it wasn't too cold. He gently sat Blaine down on a bench overlooking the many flower beds, draped the blanket over his shoulders and sat down next to him.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly when he noticed a tear making its way down his friend's cheek.

“Yes,” Blaine breathed. “Thank you.”

“You're welcome.”

He smiled as Blaine looked around, taking in his surroundings. Every once in a while, he reached out to touch the bench, a stone lying at their feet, a dry leave that had fallen off a tree, a flower growing on the path.

“So... do you still think your imagination is deceiving you?”

“If it is, I don't care. This is beautiful.”

As he said that, the clouds suddenly broke open, revealing the sun. With a huge smile, Blaine closed his eyes and leaned back against Kurt's shoulder, soaking in the warmth. Kurt couldn't help but smile as well. Seeing how happy this boy was because of something so simple as feeling the sun on his face made his heart soar. He wanted him to be this happy all the time, if possible, and he would help him however he could.

After a while, he noticed that Blaine's breathing had gotten deeper and realised he must have fallen asleep.

Meanwhile, Tina was keeping an eye on them from inside the castle. She had seen them go outside, but had decided to keep her distance, knowing how down Blaine had been lately. From her position by the window, she could see how completely at ease he became when the sun shone upon them, and the fond smile Kurt cast at him.

She was pulled from her musing by Will, who stopped in his tracks when he noticed what she was looking at.

“What are they doing?” he exclaimed. “Blaine shouldn't be outside”

“He's fine,” Tina said.

“If he catches a cold, we'll be back to square one. Kurt should know better.”

He started making his way out, but Tina stopped him.

“Let them be. Blaine's fine, Will. I mean, look at him. I haven't seen him this relaxed or happy in months. Let him have this. I think he really needs it, after all that's happened.”

Will thought it over, looking between her and the couple outside.

“Fine. Let's just hope he doesn't regress.”

“He won't. You know Kurt wouldn't let him.”

Just then, Kurt came back inside, carrying Blaine in his arms with the blanket wrapped around him.

“What happened?” Tina exclaimed. “Is he okay?”

Kurt quickly shushed her.

“He's fine. He just fell asleep, that's all.”

Kurt carried him straight to his room, only passing Sam on the way.

“Need a hand?”

“No, I can handle it. He doesn't weigh nearly enough.”

Sam nodded and proceeded to open the door for them. He pushed the blankets back so that Kurt could lay Blaine on the bed. The whole time they were manoeuvring him, Blaine only opened his eyes once before closing them again and rolling onto his side. Kurt sat down in one of the chairs while Sam settled himself in another chair. For a while, they just watched the boy in the bed in silence, until Sam broke it.

“You like him, don't you?”

Kurt wasn't surprised. Sam knew him like no one else did, so it was only a matter of time before he brought this up.

“Yeah, I do.”

Sam nodded.

“Is he gay?”

“I don't know. But I think so. At the very least, he doesn't recoil from me or even seem to mind when I touch him.”

“I'm just wondering... Maybe he doesn't know either.” When he saw Kurt's confused look, he continued his line of reasoning out loud. “He's been on his own for years. I mean, yes, his mother was there with him at first, but he couldn't exactly date her, could he? And besides Tina, he didn't have contact with anyone of his own age. And Tina already has a boyfriend.”

“You're right,” Kurt said thoughtfully. “Do you think Tina knows?”

“Maybe. She did say that Sebastian made him a... less than honourable offer in exchange for his life, but he declined it.”

“So would I, if I'd been in Blaine's position. That doesn't mean anything.”

“That's true. Perhaps we should just ask Tina. They might have talked about it before.”

Kurt thought it over. Sam might be right. But even if that were the case, he didn't want to go behind Blaine's back.

“No. Even if she knows, I don't think we should ask her. I'm just going to keep my feelings to myself. Look at him, Sam. For now, I think Blaine just needs a friend.”

“He already has friends. Besides, have you forgotten about the council's demand that you get married?” Sam shot him a penetrating look.

“Yeah, 'cause _that_ is something I should just dump on him: 'Hey Blaine, I'm aware we barely know each other, but will you marry me?'”

“You still have a few months, Kurt. You can take some time to get to know him.”

* * *

After Blaine's first time outside, Kurt took him out to the gardens as often as possible. Whenever the sun shone and it wasn't too cold, the two of them could be found on that same bench, sometimes talking, other times just sitting in silence enjoying the weather and each other's presence. More often than not, Blaine fell asleep there, after which Kurt brought him back to his room. But in general, he was able to stay awake longer each time. Even Will had to grudgingly admit that going outside was actually good for him and helped his recovery along.

“Hey, Kurt? Can I ask you something?” Blaine asked one day, as they were sitting on what had quickly become _their_ bench.

“Sure,” Kurt said absent-mindedly.

“Two weeks ago, when we first came here, you told me you would do anything for me. Why did you say that?”

Kurt was glad Blaine was leaning against him so that he couldn't see how red Kurt had suddenly become. That statement had kind of slipped out that day. And since Blaine hadn't called him on it at the time, Kurt hoped he hadn't heard or hadn't paid attention to it. But no such luck, apparently.

“Um... Well, um...”

Kurt didn't know how to explain himself without sounding creepy. So, despite what he had told Sam about keeping his feelings from Blaine, he decided honesty was the best course of action.

“I really care about you, Blaine, and I want you to be happy. At first, I think it was just out of... indignation because of how you were treated.” He swallowed, nervous about what he was about to say next. “But... I've come to realise that I care about you more than that... even more than just as friends...”

Blaine sat up a little, looking back at him.

“... Why?” he murmured. “You hardly even know me.”

“I'm not really sure why. And you're right, I don't know much about you. But I want to get to know you. Because even after everything that's happened, after all the crap the world has thrown at you, you're still such a genuinely good person. I love how something as simple as sitting here can make you so happy that it lights up your whole demeanour. And you deserve that and so much more.”

After Kurt's little speech, Blaine was staring at him silently. Kurt was afraid he had scared him off by revealing his feelings to him.

“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you all of that. Let's just forget I said anything, shall we?”

“No, it's okay,” Blaine reassured him, returning to his previous position. He took his time to gather his thoughts. “It's just... I have no idea what it's like to be in love. I don't have anything to compare it with. I've never even seen my parents together. All my knowledge comes from books.”

Once again, Kurt's heart bled for this boy. He wrapped his arm around him and pulled him a little closer, earning a small smile in return.

“You're so different from anyone I know, Kurt, which, granted, isn't a very long list. For some reason, I feel... strangely drawn to you. But I don't know what it means. And it confuses me.”

“Do you think you're attracted to men?” Kurt asked him.

“I'm not sure. I mean, I've noticed Tina, for example, is a beautiful girl. I know she's a friend and she matters to me. On the other hand, I've never felt... any attraction to her, not like with you. Then again, maybe I've just known her for too long. I don't know.”

He paused.

“I've wondered whether I'm gay or not. Tina sure thinks I am. … When I'm with you, I think she might be right.”

Kurt's smile almost split his face in two.

“Don't worry,” he said. “You have time to figure it out.”

“Have you ever had a boyfriend before?”

“No. Never found the right guy. I had a crush on someone once, but he was straight.”

“What was it like?”

Kurt noticed Blaine's voice was growing softer, which usually meant he was getting sleepy.

“It was... great. Just seeing him always made me so happy, like nothing could go wrong anymore that day.”

He wasn't entirely sure he wasn't talking about Blaine, who was now blinking heavily. By the time Kurt had put him back in bed, a small piece of hope had settled in him that, maybe, Blaine would some day feel the same about him.

* * *

One day, Kurt went to the guest room on the second floor and found it empty. Somewhat concerned, he set out to track down the person who normally occupied it.

'Of course,' he thought in relief when he eventually found Blaine standing in the middle of one of the flower beds in the garden. He had left his shoes on the path, apparently wanting to feel the ground with his bare feet. Kurt joined him cautiously, attempting not to crush any of the flowers.

“I've been looking for you.”

Blaine started slightly; he had been too lost in thought to hear Kurt coming.

“I came here all on my own,” he said proudly. “I didn't even need to stop on the way.”

“Well done! I guess you're all better, huh?”

“I guess so...” He trailed off.

Kurt suddenly realised Blaine looked a lot better than before. Since he had spent so much time with him in the past weeks, he hadn't really noticed the gradual improvements, but now, in the bright light, it struck him how _good_ he looked. His eyes were no longer sunken, his cheeks were filled and his colour had gone back to normal, he was even getting a bit tanned. As he was studying his features, he could see the worry lines there.

“Is there something bothering you?”

“... Your father offered to give me my title back. And the original Anderson territory, if I want it.”

“Oh. That's good, I guess... Isn't it?” he added uncertainly when Blaine didn't answer.

“I think so. I mean, it shows he's trying to make up for the past.”

“Yeah, it does. Do you think you'll be able to forgive him one day?”

“Probably. After all, while king Christopher was still alive, my life wasn't that bad. Just a bit... lonely.” Blaine looked at the sky, following some birds with his eyes. “That's not the problem though.”

“Then what is?”

“... I don't know what to do with your father's offer. If I decline, I feel like I'm letting my parents down, or something. But if I accept it... I don't even know how the real world works, what on earth am I going to do with a whole domain?”

He took a deep, calming breath.

“It's just... I don't know how to be free, Kurt. All my life, I've dreamed of freedom, but now that I have it, I just don't know what I'm supposed to do. I feel so... lost.”

“You're not 'supposed' to do anything, Blaine. You can do whatever you want. It's your choice. And if you want, I can help you figure it out.”

Blaine accepted his outstretched hand and smiled gratefully.

“I'd like that,” he said softly, before tentatively leaning in to kiss Kurt on the lips, who didn't hesitate to reciprocate.

“So, what do you suggest I do, oh wise one?” Blaine asked teasingly when they finally pulled back to take a moment to breathe.

“I don't know. Sing. Dance.” Kurt laid his hands on Blaine's shoulders and leaned in closer, whispering against his lips. “Be free.”

 


	8. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

There was so much screaming and shouting going on behind the closed door Kurt was pacing in front of. Blaine was leaning against the wall on the other side of the hallway, following Kurt's movements with his eyes and biting his bottom lip in worry. At some point, the screaming seemed to reach a climax. Both men immediately directed their full attention at the closed-off room, holding their breaths. One final scream and then it was completely silent, apart from a faint cry that grew in strength.

The men in the hallway released their breaths as one and huge grins appeared on both of their faces. A few minutes later, the door opened and Tina came out, carrying a small bundle in her arms.

“Congratulations, it's a girl.”

She laid the baby in Kurt's arms.

“The delivery went well,” Tina continued. “There were no complications and she's completely healthy.”

“She's beautiful,” Blaine whispered, while he peeked over Kurt's shoulder at the child. _Their_ child.

Technically, she was Kurt's since he was the biological father – mostly for political reasons. And, even though their surrogate had signed an agreement not to lay any claim to the child once it was born, they had decided that Blaine would adopt her to officially make him the second father. They had offered the biological mother a job as nanny so that she could see her child grow up, but she had declined, stating she wasn't made to be a nanny.

“She is,” Kurt agreed proudly. “How's Santana?”

“Tired, but fine. She kind of hates you right now, so I wouldn't go in there, if you want to keep all of your limbs.”

“Do you want to hold her?” Kurt asked his husband.

Blaine stared at him and shook his head anxiously.

“What if I drop her?”

“You won't. Go on.”

He laid the baby carefully in Blaine's arms and smiled fondly when he saw his amazed expression.

“Did you have a name picked out?” Tina asked.

Their answer came at the same time.

“Ariana.”

**The end**


End file.
